NXNE 2016 Review: TUNS

As the sun began to set outside the Garrison, located in the Dundas West neighbourhood, the back room quickly began to fill up. By the time TUNS took to the stage to kick off their set, the room was packed and ready to rock, having been warmed up by opening acts Kiwi Jr. and Only Yours. The band wasted no time kicking out the jams, as they played one song after another with very little banter in between.

The tight rhythm section, anchored by Chris Murphy's (of Sloan) precise drumming and bass grooves laid down by Mike O'Neill (of The Inbreds) lay a solid foundation for Matt Murphy's (of Superfriendz) melodic guitar licks. Vocals duties are shared between the three, with multi-layered harmonies weaving in and out of songs, in glorious power pop fashion. The band members, who have been active in Canada's music scene since the 90's, are also long time friends and their chemistry shows on stage.

As each song leads to the next, the energy level in the room remains at a high, and you can hear comments in the crowd; "man...they're amazing"....as concert goers nod their heads, stomp their feet, and dance to the music. Midway through the set, between songs, the band pauses long enough for Matt to say "we've only played a dozen shows...but this one might be the best one yet", to overwhelming crowd response. They quickly launch into their next song.

As the night winds down, the audience's attention never fades, and everyone leaves with a huge smile on their face.